Private Label

U.S. retailers continue to make progress in offering store brand products with health claims relevant to shoppers looking for healthier food choices.

Food Lion is slashing prices across its stores on thousands of items shoppers purchase most often.

While there are recent signs that the U.S. economy has righted itself and is on a path to recovery, the road ahead faces significant headwinds that will make a true reversal protracted.

In tandem with consumers’ increased interest in store brands across many key categories, Supervalu has rolled out a new line of Baby Basics diapers that joins its other signature house brands, which include Wild Harvest, Culinary Circle, Stockman & Dakota, Stone Ridge Creamery, Java Delight, Homelife, Equaline and Shoppers Value.

Annual coupon use is rising for the first time since 1992, according to process improvement company Inmar, and coupon distribution has reached the highest level recorded since the company began tracking trends in 1988.

The Homes and Gardens Best New Product Awards (BNPA) program has revealed its top winners for 2010, in tandem with research and insights from its companion second annual BrandSpark American Shopper Study.

U.S.-based store brands are benefiting big time from the current economic downturn. As consumers continue to turn to better prices and value, retailers have clearly stepped up their game by enhancing their brands’ overall product quality and by adding strong marketing muscle behind store-brand initiatives.

Food Lion and Bloom shoppers can now earn as much as $10 in free groceries every time they buy private brand products.